High End Productions Develops Series with William Boyd

High End Productions is set to develop the period drama Maximilian and Carlota with novelist and screenwriter William Boyd (Spy City).

The series will tell the story of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium, who were persuaded to sail to the other end of the world by Napoleon III. It centers on the personal fates of the young couple, who were used as political pawns.

Filming for Maximilian and Carlota is scheduled to begin in the late summer of 2022 in Austria, Northern Italy, France and Mexico.

Herbert G. Kloiber, founder of High End Productions, said, “I’ve been intrigued with the story of Kaiser Franz Josef’s brother, who was two years younger, for more than 30 years. As a quick-witted political liberal, he was always perceived as a threat by the Viennese Court. For this reason, after first being sent to Milan and Trieste, he was destined to seek his fortune in Mexico, where his life ended tragically after nearly three years, at the tender age of 35. I have made several deep forays into the literature and history of these characters. My fascination with them has stayed with me to this day, and that’s why I am particularly happy that this project is about to become a reality.”